Dodge Charger

Top 10 Safe Vehicles for Less Than $25,000

The Dodge Charger shares a platform with the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum, which is in turn based on the Mercedes E-class chassis and thus expectedly good. Mercedes sedans crash consistently well, so it's little surprise that the Charger does too, earning five stars in all categories except for the front seat in side-impacts, where it earns four. Side and curtain airbags are part of the $1235 Protection Group package, which requires the additional purchase of stability control for $1025.

Though traffic laws can perhaps be sometimes followed loosely, the laws of physics are tougher to skirt. While crashing in a small car isn't inherently unsafe, the Charger's generous proportions provide ample sheetmetal to crumple and dissipate energy before it's your body's turn.